With hurricane season underway, new and current FGCU students need to stay informed about how the current federal administration’s policies will directly impact them over the next few months.
Two organizations often work in tandem when discussing hurricanes: the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). They are the key components involved in ensuring the safety of Floridians during challenging times, which are often accompanied by hurricanes and other storms.
FEMA does so by mitigating disaster responses and coordinating federal resources, while NOAA primarily provides information to citizens. NOAA collects and distributes reliable weather forecasts, which are composed of scientific data collected by researchers and employees under the agency. Recently, NOAA has reported a 60% chance of an above-normal season, with a range of 13 to 19 total named storms. For more information, go to the NOAA website.
Predictions like this help students organize themselves appropriately, whether that be physically or emotionally. Ultimately, protecting students with defense tools is made possible by awareness of the most likely possibilities.
In the past, as someone who has been affected by devastating hurricanes in the span of a few years, the variety of storm strengths has caused a significant difference in terms of safety. Yet, the predictions can quickly become complicated with the extreme dangers of high surges, and that is when NOAA has helped me decide whether a trip across the state would be financially worthwhile.
On the other hand, the timeliness of FEMA’s disaster relief can help me return home safely after my flight, with the availability of roadways and gas. However, our government has been issuing executive orders and passing bills that implement budget cuts and aim to eliminate overspending in different federal agencies since the current administration took office in January 2025.
This budgeting journey is led by the administration’s addition of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). As FEMA is a federally led agency, it reported in February that 200 employees were fired due to the current federal administration, and the numbers may vary up to 2,000 when considering buyouts and resignations, according to Government Executive.
A trickle effect results from the gap left within these agencies, caused by a lack of senior staff and low morale. That said, downsizing was just the beginning step in dismantling the integrity of these important resources.
During an Oval Office briefing, Trump took this stance,
“We want to wean off of FEMA, and we want to bring it down to the state level … A governor should be able to handle it, and frankly, if they can’t handle it, the aftermath, then maybe they shouldn’t be governor.
State governors have already taken on roles during hurricane season, yet the level of participation needed during these disasters has proven to be beyond their budget. When I took a walk across Fort Myers Beach last week, the construction was presently ongoing (three years after Hurricane Ian).
FEMA staff are on track to continue this sweep and reduce their workforce by approximately 30% by the end of December, according to WRAL News. The timeline for the transition from federal management to state management is expected to accelerate after this season, leaving Floridians’ safety and well-being uncertain for the next year and the year after due to the change in aid management.
For FGCU students who lived through these horrific storms, we sympathize with the pain and trauma that linger. Given my experience with a protective net underneath the state, I want reassurance of a concrete plan. In times of uncertainty, we must come together and advocate for ourselves.
Stay informed, continue to discuss conflicting policies, and take a proactive approach.
